I loved visiting beaches during childhood holidays in Ireland. I remember pristine sand and running towards the waves. Then the exhilaration of the fresh, clean water and luminous droplets of salty water on my skin. I knew that herring, which I would enjoy for my supper, were caught further out at sea. Those were beautiful golden days, taking in the sea air.
Around the same era, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Fiji, in the Pacific, remembers a childhood living close to the ocean and going fishing with his mother to catch shrimps, fish, and eels. “It was like going to the fish market for food,” he said, “but the sea also provided entertainment and transportation.”
But does everyone feel a connection with the planet’s oceans – or should we say ocean, since they are all joined? Let’s celebrate World Oceans Day on 8th June 2025.
Commodifying the ocean
Psalm 104 talks of “the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.” It provides oxygen, regulates the climate and feeds billions of people. However, there is increasing pressure from overfishing, pollution and climate change.
These days, Archbishop Chong is concerned about deep sea mining and even mining on land where the waste products (tailings) end up in the ocean. He has criticised the power of extractive industries to override Fiji’s environmental protections.
In the Philippines, Bishop Gerardo Alimane Alminaza of San Carlos has criticized British banks financing liquefied natural gas terminals and fossil gas power plants in the Verde Island Passage. Last month, he visited Europe to call for protection for this small strait that separates the Philippine islands of Luzon and Mindoro. He concluded with, “we hope we can count on you to join and support us.”
The Asia Indigenous People’s Network is amongst those calling for an end to oil and gas extraction and seabed mining. Rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels would also help to tackle climate change and mitigate its effects.
Valuing the marine environment
Do we respect our oceans? Columban Eco-theologian Sean McDonagh has described the damage done to oceans as “absolutely horrendous.” One example is the destruction of phytoplankton. “People talk about the Amazon and the forests of Central Africa as being the lungs of the world,” he says, “but the lungs of the world are phytoplankton; scientists estimate that phytoplankton contribute over 50% of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere.”
Ten years ago, the Columbans in Korea hosted a symposium, ‘The Ocean and Theology’, highlighting that this was a relatively new theme within the world of mission, even though Laudato Si’ came out the same year, calling the oceans “the common heritage of the human family.” The ocean has been largely ignored in theological reflection and Catholic worship and we must do more about it.
Stop plastic entering the ocean
Scientists forecast that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Already, ocean plastic pollution is harming more than 800 species, including all sea turtle species, more than 40% of marine mammal species, and 44% of seabirds. Marine animals are often trapped in or swallow plastic debris, leading to suffocation, malnutrition, and drowning. And plastic is in the food system. Researchers, in Hong Kong have found microplastic accumulation in green-lipped mussels, a popular seafood species.
In Fiji, the Columban JPIC Coordinator, Noa Mervyn Tuivunilagi, is campaigning for investment in a stronger recycling infrastructure to process plastic waste locally and reduce dependence on exports. At Xavier College in Ba, students are leading bottle recycling initiatives – showing how education and grassroots action can create meaningful change. Here in Britain, Columbans took the theme, ‘Tackling our Throwaway Culture’ in its 2020 Schools Competition. One winner pointed out that “almost every piece of plastic ever made is still on this planet in some form or another” and promised to tackle plastic pollution.
Fish stocks and marine biodiversity
Human society needs healthy fish stocks and the preservation of ocean biodiversity. Regional fisheries management organisations manage many of the world’s commercial fish stocks, including tunas, as well as other highly migratory species, such as swordfish, sharks and rays. But they must challenge the damage large-scale fishing inflicts on non-target wildlife, such as seabirds, marine mammals, and small fish and invertebrates that are critical to the food web.
Building biodiversity conservation management regimes is also vital for achieving the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which was agreed in 2022 under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Columbans were there as part of an effective faith lobby. The UN has helped create a framework for the establishment of high seas marine protected areas, and it must be implemented.
Protecting our life support system
People often think the ocean is too big to break, but ecological collapse, widespread pollution and species extinction are already here. Columbans respect the ocean as our planet’s life support system and will play our part in conserving it. In 2022, for the first time, a cohort of Church leaders, including Columban missionaries, attended the UN Oceans Conference to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable and advocate for care for God’s creation.
Coming up soon – Churches could be engaging with the largest UN Ocean Conference ever organised for the 9th-13th June 2025 in Nice, France. World leaders and businesses have an opportunity to better protect and sustainably manage the ocean. It is crucial that 2030 milestones under UN Sustainable Development Goals are met. In fact, a multifaith delegation is attending and it will present a declaration, saying: “We must restore a relationship with the ocean that is guided by respect, responsibility, and sustainability.” Catholic signatories include: Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Maryknoll Sisters, and Missionary Society of St. Columban.
